You know it’s autumn in the suburbs when…
Fat spiders lurk in the middle of giant webs strung between privet hedges and wheelie bins.
Rosy apples hang temptingly on a tree in someone else’s back garden and you imagine all the crumbles they might have made as they ripen, rot and fall.
The neighbours’ children don’t play outside when they get home from school.
Hanging baskets look very much the worse for wear.
The lawn never really dries out enough to be cut (but is really too long to leave until next spring).
Young women on the tube are wearing boots to work.
Young men on the tube are wearing jackets to work.
Museum gift catalogues and invitations to buy charity Christmas cards start arriving in the post.
There are Hallowe’en items for sale in the supermarket (including plastic pumpkin lamps, for those who haven’t the time or inclination to carve their own).
This reminded me that we get the word 'gossamer' from 'Goose Summer' the old English name for those mellow late summer/early autumn days when baby spiders drift around trailing thin strands of spider web behind them. In the USA they call such days an 'Indian Summer' but don't you think we should revive the term 'Goose Summer' it is so evocative!
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